Immune-Related Alopecia (Areata and Universalis) in Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

    December 2016 in “ British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement ”
    Allison Zarbo, Viswanath Reddy Belum, V. Sibaud, Stéphane Oudard, Michael A. Postow, Jia‐Juan Hsieh, Robert J. Motzer, Klaus J. Busam, Mario E. Lacouture
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    TLDR Cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors may develop alopecia, but some hair regrowth is possible with treatment.
    The document from April 24, 2017, discusses the occurrence of alopecia areata (AA) and alopecia universalis as immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, which are monoclonal antibodies targeting CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1. These inhibitors can lead to various irAEs, including dermatological conditions. The study aimed to characterize the clinicopathology of AA induced by these therapies and included four cases from clinics where patients developed partial or complete alopecia during treatment. Of these patients, 75% had AA and one had universalis. Treatments such as topical, oral, or intralesional therapies, or discontinuation of immunotherapy, led to hair regrowth with poliosis (whitening of the hair) in two patients. One patient also experienced onychodystrophy (nail abnormalities). The study highlights the importance of recognizing and managing hair-related irAEs for patient counseling and maintaining quality of life.
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